Biography: Jonathan Frakes (born August 19, 1952 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) is a American actor and director best known for his portrayal of Commander William Riker in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Moving on to directing in recent years, Frakes directed Star Trek: First Contact, which earned him the nickname "Two-Takes" Frakes for his efficiency as a director.

Frakes received his Bachelor of Fine Arts (in theater arts) at Penn State University in the early 1970s and his Masters from Harvard.

He moved to New York City and became a member of "The Impossible Ragtime Theater." In that company, Frakes did his first off-Broadway acting in Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape. His first Broadway appearance was in Shenandoah. At the same time, he landed a role in the NBC soap opera The Doctors. When his character was dismissed from the soap, Frakes moved to Los Angeles, California and played guest spots in many of the top television shows of the 1970s and 1980s, including the The Waltons and Hill Street Blues. He had recurring roles in Falcon Crest and North & South, before signing for the role of Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation. He has also done animation voice acting, most notably voicing the recurring role of David Xanatos in the television series Gargoyles. Frakes also hosted Beyond Belief.

In the miniseries North & South, he played Stanley Hazard of Hazard Iron, a weak man easily manipulated by his mother and wife, a character in stark contrast to the strong Commander William T. Riker.

Frakes is married to soap opera actress Genie Francis. The couple now live in London with their son, Jameson, and daughter, Elizabeth.

He is also the only Star Trek regular to appear on four different Star Trek series (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise).

Along with Marina Sirtis, Armin Shimerman, John de Lancie, Michael Ansara and Richard Poe, he is one of only six actors to play the same character on three different Star Trek series. He played Commander William T. Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise.